


Nessun Dorma

by Guacharo



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Identity Reveal, Marinette has anxiety, Romance, Suspension Of Disbelief, i'm opera trash, most of the girls in the class
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 15:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12634305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guacharo/pseuds/Guacharo
Summary: When an Akuma compels Paris to a night of sleeplessness, it's up to Chat Noir to uncover Ladybug's identity before it's too late.





	Nessun Dorma

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. No, I din't give up on No Good Deed.

_Nessun Dorma_

 

“Tonight, none shall sleep!”

Il Príncipe cackled, raising his scepter to the purple, watercolor clouds of twilight. His curse scattered through the city.

Ladybug raced to a nearby public restroom that was thankfully vacated for her transformation to fall. Chat Noir had been bound to a street lamp, unable to follow. 

Cataclysm had destroyed the ropes, but he couldn’t destroy the scepter on his own without Ladybug there to purify the Akuma. 

“I have a deal to make with you Chat Noir.”

The hero in question jumped back into a fighting stance. He only had five minutes after all. Hopefully that would be enough to push the Akuma away and make a break for it. 

“I don’t make deals with devils.”

“You’ll have to if you ever want to see Ladybug again.”

Time meant nothing. If he did anything to his Lady, he would swear revenge by the stars. He would destroy every building in Paris and hang Hawkmoth by his thumbs.

“What have you done to her!”

Not caring about Il Príncipe’s powers, Chat pointed his baton at the Akuma’s throat. The villain smiled, eyes full of malice.

“Nothing yet. But I’ve cursed this entire city, and there is only one way to lift it. Even if I am defeated, the curse shall remain and all of Paris will go mad. Tonight, none shall sleep. At sunrise the curse becomes permanent, none will ever sleep again!”

Chat shuddered. His ring beeped.

“I won’t surrender my miraculous if that’s your price.”

Il Príncipe sneered.

“You wound me. My price in simple, discover the identity of Ladybug. You don’t have to tell me. If you don’t find her by sunrise, my price changes. Your miraculous for my consideration.”

“Of what?”

“Reversing the curse for all except Ladybug.”

Another beep.

“Deal.”

He would know his Lady even in death. He had no other choice.

 

_Nessun Dorma_

 

“Come on Tikki, we have to help Chat!”

The little Kwami puffed her cheeks out, chewing as fast as she could on the chocolate chip cookies. 

“Tikki, spots on!”

The buzz of electricity zapped as Tikki attempted to enter the miraculous.

“Spots on!”

Repetition. Like an old radio, the static was deafening.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know Marinette. Maybe the Akuma did something?”

She gasped. Surely there was no way? How could it be so? She had to find Chat!

“How are going to fix this?”

“I don’t know Marinette, I don’t know.”

On the way home there were no explosions. There was no mass panic, just silence. She couldn’t see Chat Noir leaping over roofs, nor could she see Il Príncipe. This must be the calm before the storm.

“You’re right on time. Nadja Chamack is about to give today’s report. They said it was going to be important.”

Sabine quickly ushered Marinette to the screen where the familiar face of Paris’ comings and goings grimly prepared to deliver the news.

“Don’t be amused, it’s not good news. Thank you for your patience Paris, but it looks like we’re in for a tough one tonight. After receiving confirmation from several sources, it’s true: no one in Paris will sleep tonight. Today’s Akuma, named Il Príncipe has decreed it so. A note our station received from Chat Noir himself says this evil can only be vanquished once he finds Ladybug’s civilian identity. What could this mean for our favorite crime fighting duo? We don’t know, but stay tuned.”

Marinette’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. Her ability to chose had been taken away from her. Chat would discover who she was. 

He had to.

Tikki’s transformation wasn’t working. 

Chat had to come to her.

A part of her, gnarled and ugly, resented him for it. 

“I guess we’ll have to keep the bakery open all night.”

Her poor Papa, who rose with the sun to knead his rolls, would have to last the entire night. 

Oh Chat, find me soon. 

Now was not the time to be selfish. She was Ladybug with or without a functional miraculous. Ladybug always did what was right.

Marinette patted her father’s cheek and followed him to the bakery. 

Espresso doesn’t make itself ya know.

 

_Tu pure o principessa_

 

Like a thief, Chat Noir prowled the rooftops of the city. Upon reaching the roof of the Grand Paris Hotel he hid leapt down and hid behind a bush to detransform. Chloe was a logical option. After himself, Chloe was Ladybug’s number one fan. Alya had tried to track down and expose Ladybug, Chloe done no such thing. Naturally, she had speculated with Sabrina, but Chloe respected his Lady too much to try to remove her mask. It was either that or Chloe was much too afraid to ruin the mystery, to see Ladybug as human, to lose yet another figure to believe in.

He knocked and Chloe leaped straight into his flailing arms.

“Adrikins! You came to see me!”

After disentangling himself and almost swallowing some errant strands of her hair, he was able to speak.

“Of course, I had to make sure my oldest friend was okay.”

She smacked him on the chest.

“Such a charmer! Sleep is for the weak,and I’m still beautiful without it.”

Trust Chloe to always see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you think Chat has a chance of finding Ladybug?”

”Duh. Even though he’s an inept sidekick, he’s been fighting with her for so long. If anything Ladybug will be the one to find him!”

Ignoring the pang in his chest at being called a sidekick, the other half of his heart lightened. Ladybug wasn’t one to give in without a fight. 

“Hey Chloe, do you have any coffee? It’s gonna be a long night.”

The aromatic blend was smooth on his tongue, creamy and sweet, just the way he liked it. He’d somehow convinced Chloe to summon Sabrina just so she wouldn’t have to spend the entire night alone, he had work to do after all. Besides, Antibug needed her Anti-Chat? Chien Noir? Chat Blanc? That made more sense; Chat Blanc.

Stepping out, he noticed Juleka and Rose strolling hand in hand. Bathed in the moonlight, the effect of the two girls silently roaming the streets, soft pinks of young love echoed identically on their cheeks. It could’ve been the end of the world, but Rose’s heart was dancing with Juleka’s.

“Adrien?”

Busted.

He didn’t have to force a smile. Something about being round people in love made one feel both delighted and melancholic, longing for something just beyond reach, like a long-forgotten song of childhood.

“Hey Juleka. Nice to see you Rose. Fancy seeing you here.”

Juleka’s hand tightened ever so slightly around Rose’s. Adrien was nice enough, but she didn’t feel like talking much right now. 

Rose squeezed back. She respected her girlfriend’s need for silence. Most people in the class did, but they’d grown up together; Juleka sometimes didn’t want to talk, and that was fine. Her music taste was still the best. Not to mention they all envied the streaks in her hair. At least that’s what Marinette said.

“We’re just walking. We’re going to Alya’s later. Do you want to come with us?”

Of course! This was his chance. The owner of the Ladyblog should be able to offer some insight to Ladybug. Texting her would be too obvious. This was an undercover mission. He also didn't know where it was Alya lived. 

The walk wasn’t long, but night spoke to its victims slowly. They couldn’t sleep. No one could sleep, not tonight. 

Alya’s eyes were wild. If Adrien were to take her heart rate, he was sure they’d be on their way to a local hospital where she’d be hopped on the strongest relaxants they had.

It was a testament to her state of mind that she didn’t question why Adrien was on her doorstep waving.

The Cesaires had enough Red Bull to give an elephant wings which was punctuated by Juleka’s wide eyes when Alya ground a few caffeine pills to put in the magical substance. 

“IT’S OBVIOUS LADYBUG GOES TO OUR SCHOOL I MEAN SHE COULD BE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD, SHE TOLD ME BUT I WANT TO THINK SHE GOES TO OUR SCHOOL CAUSE WOULDN’T THAT BE SOMETHING!”

She took another sip. Juleka had managed to hijack Alya’s laptop which contained thousands of images of people who went to their school. Adrien managed to distract Alya long enough for Rose to call in a few favors from Max to sort out the files. Once they had separated the pictures of girls with no repeats, they were able to narrow down the selection to girls with black hair. The computer was useless at detecting eye color, but at least their selection wasn't in the thousands. 

Rose silently questioned why Juleka was snooping through Alya’s files, but she trusted Juleka’s judgement. Mystery was part of the package. Juleka didn’t have the heart to tell her it was actually social awkwardness.

Adrien felt his phone buzz as Alya raced through her theory on why Ladybug was the avatar of some Hindu gddess who broke an ancient law by marrying an Egyptian pharaoh.

2 messages. Unknown number.

“Yo Alya, gimme one.”

Juleka’s scratchy tones redirected Alya’s attention.

Adrien looked at Juleka long enough for her to wink and point him towards the door. He frowned but did as he was told. 

He opened his messages after leaving the apartment. 

The first message was a link to AlyaComp.pdf which opened to a collection of pictures containing girls with black hair.

What?

The second message proved far more interesting.

Go find her tiger ;)

“Plagg, claws out!”

He knew exactly where he needed to be.

 

_Nella tua fredda stanza_

 

Marinette nursed her hot cup of Joe on the balcony, thick, no sugar, no milk. Just the way she liked it. Her thoughts drifted to Adrien and then to Chat Noir.

Would it really be that bad if Chat knew?

He could definitely keep a secret but what if…

What if he didn’t like her?

Chat Noir looked at Ladybug like she’d hung the stars. He was honest, flirtatious, and… The best partner she could ask for. 

Her lips turned up at the corners. 

His ridiculous puns could always bring a smile to her face. The way he would gently hold her hands when they shook, the weight of expectations and just living heavy on her shoulders, he’d hold them until they stopped and she could breathe again. 

But what about Marinette who tripped over her own shadow? 

What about Marinette who stacked notebooks of mental arguments?

It wasn’t often, but would Chat love her enough to stay on the days when she could not feel like a self?

Did Chat even like design?

She took another sip.

Adrien.

She’d clung on to the idea of Adrien, someone who’d never love her back. Not because she was unlovable or anything, but she wasn’t stupid.

The Adrien in her head would never love her back because he didn’t exist.

She’d fallen for his kindness; that part was real.

And she clung to it with all of her heart.

When she was next to Adrien, her throat tightened and her palms sweated for that one kernel, that one drop of admiration she wanted to be so much more than just admiration so she'd decided to call it love. 

But a rose by any other name would not be called love, just admiration.

The dollop of affection scared her the most. The more she saw of Adrien, the more her resolve fell, and possibility bloomed in her chest.

The more video games they played.  
The more projects they worked on.  
The more dances they shared.  
The more times they hung out as a group.

The more times he was real, the more the possibility grew; the possibility of falling in love.

A seasonal possibility that paled in comparison to the fledgling she tried so hard to kill. 

A small bird with an underbelly of fuzzy yellow feathers belonging solely to Chat Noir.

Who was currently out of breath crouched down on the railing of the balcony.

“Hello princess. I need your help.”

 

_Guardi le stelle che tremano  
D'amore e di speranza._

**Author's Note:**

> So, how was it?


End file.
